Abstract
The sustainable development goal number 2 aims at ‘‘ending hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’’. Claims are that indigenous fruit crops can contribute significantly to nutritional food security, especially for resource-poor households. The African horned cucumber is an underutilised crop that is nutrient dense. The study aim was to investigate the effect of varying soil types and growth environments on African horned cucumber’s growth, yield performance and nutrient content. The study was carried out as a 2 x 3 factorial experiment arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with six (6) treatments which were replicated six times for two consecutive planting periods. The treatment comprised two soil types (loamy soil and sandy loam soil) and three growing conditions (greenhouse, shade net and open field space). Data collected included fruit number, fruit water content and macro-nutrient content. Key findings illustrated that higher fruit number (41) was obtained from sandy loam under open field conditions. Superior water content (391.8 g-1 DW) was observed on fruits harvested from plants grown on loam soil under greenhouse environment. Conversely, sandy loam under open fields conditions exhibited higher potassium content (1639 mg/100 g-1 DW) than other treatments. For higher yields and nutrient-dense fruit, subsistence and commercial growers are encouraged to cultivate African horned cucumbers under open field conditions.
Presenters
Mdungazi Knox MalulekeAssociate Professor, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Gauteng, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Food Production and Sustainability
KEYWORDS
CALCIUM, FRUIT NUMBER, HARVEST INDEX, POTASSIUM, WATER CONTENT
